090 Nickolas Means - Leadership in Distributed Organizations

On this episode of our SaaS Fuel™ Expert Series this week, we are delighted to have Nickolas Means, VP of Engineering at Sym and a seasoned leader in the software engineering field. Nickolas reflects on the challenges and lessons he has learned throughout his leadership journey in distributed organizations. One of the key takeaways from our discussion is the idea that leaders must find their own style and adapt to the context they operate in. While guidance and signposts are valuable, individuals ultimately need to define their own principles and lead with integrity. Nickolas also highlights the importance of cultural orientation in successful mergers and acquisitions. Creating a positive and enthusiastic environment, as well as understanding and preserving the acquired company's culture, plays a vital role in integration. In addition to these insights, we also discuss the value of creating a safe space for open communication and fostering a collaborative work environment. Furthermore, we explore the rise of remote international teams and how organizations can navigate the challenges and opportunities they present. Join us to discover more practical takeaways from this episode of SaaS Fuel!Key Takeaways[00:08:53] Leadership transitions require adjusting to new feedback loops and finding satisfaction in the work of others.[00:11:28] Leadership growth: learning from mistakes and perspectives.[00:14:25] GitHub fosters empathy through widespread product usage.[00:17:16] Focus on agency, autonomy, and empowering growth.[00:23:25] Setting ego aside, hiring smart people, teamwork.[00:25:12] Tool for healthcare data protection & access control.[00:29:46] Balanced interview process fosters mutual excitement.[00:33:52] Leadership style is subjective, personal, and experiential.[00:35:39] Influential book on leadership transformed my journey.[00:40:01] Leadership lessons from outside books are impactful.[00:41:00] Importance of Learning from the Broader Business CommunityTweetable Quotes"In engineering and in life, flexibility and creativity might just get you to the other side." — Jeff Mains 00:00:24"Moving into a people role, I just found those problems much more interesting and found the leverage that being a leader was much more satisfying to me than the leverage of writing code on a day-in, day-out basis." — Nickolas Means 00:06:51"As a leader, you can't really find satisfaction in IC-style work. Your satisfaction has to start coming from the work that the people you lead are doing." — Nickolas Means 00:08:53"A lot of the work in those situations is, okay, tell me what's important about your culture, tell me what means a lot to you as a company, and let's come up with ways that we can preserve that even as you join this larger culture." — Nickolas Means 00:15:54"I always look at that power as something that the organization is asking me to give away in really efficie